APA Office on Aging resources

Resources offered by the Office on Aging Issues focus on caregiving, capacity assessment, integrated health care and more

Geropsychology: It’s Your Future — Discover the Answers… Be a Part of the Solution (PDF, 216KB)
This web-based fact sheet discusses career opportunities for students and psychologists interested in work with older adults. It highlights jobs in research and practice, and education and training resources.
Family Caregiver Briefcase for Psychologists
The Briefcase contains 160+ information filled web pages, references, and links useful for psychologists in their work with family caregivers of individuals across the life span in addition to older adults.
Guidelines for the Evaluation of Dementia and Age-Related Cognitive Change
The recently updated Guidelines provide guidance on the parameters of evaluation and evidence based practices that will prove useful to psychologists, and increase other disciplines’ understanding of psychologists’ role in dementia assessment.
Assessment of Older Adults with Diminished Capacity: A Handbook for Psychologists
A product of the APA/ABA Assessment of Capacity in Older Adults Project Working Group, this publication provides guidance in evaluating civil capacities of importance for older adults — medical consent capacity, sexual consent capacity, financial capacity, testamentary capacity, capacity to drive and capacity to live independently. Relevant literature, suggestions for assessment tools and case examples are provided throughout the handbook. Handbooks for Judges (2006) and Lawyers (2005) are also available.
Multicultural Competency in Geropsychology
This report explores key issues, makes recommendations, and provides resources related to multicultural competence in work with older adults.
Consumer Factsheet on Memory and Aging (PDF, 154KB)
Offers information on memory changes that sometimes accompany age, tips for maintaining memory and when to seek professional help.
Consumer Factsheet on Coping with Stress and Anxiety (PDF, 90KB)
Provides information on the stressors of aging, coping with stress and ways psychologists can help.
Blueprint for Change: Achieving Integrated Health Care for an Aging Population
This report provides guidance for psychologists on how to be effective in contributing to, joining and creating interdisciplinary health care teams. Supplemental fact sheets for consumers, graduate psychology faculty and training directors, and policymakers are also available.
Life Plan for the Life Span 2012 (PDF, 3.1MB)
Offers practical guidance and links to resources to assist young, middle-aged and older adults plan for legal, financial, health, psychological, social and work life/retirement issues that often arise as people age.
Psychology and Aging
Describes the contributions of psychologists to the health and well-being of older adults.
Psychology and Aging Resource Guides
Summarize research and relevant books and journal articles on important topics including Psychotherapy, Depression and Suicide, Insomnia, Sexuality and Psychological Services in Long Term Care.